


It's a Dog's Life

by Sue Corkill (mscorkill)



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-04-21
Updated: 2012-04-21
Packaged: 2017-11-04 01:35:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,653
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/388204
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mscorkill/pseuds/Sue%20Corkill
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It’s Christmas on P3X-989.</p>
            </blockquote>





	It's a Dog's Life

**Author's Note:**

> Christmas Puppy!fic, written solely for Linz, to make up for the deleterious effects of Christmas Apocafic. Dedicated to Linz, Paddy and Max. Merry Christmas! (Also meets the Sam & Jack list 2005 Christmas challenge {story set during Season One} and the parameters of the SJ17 Plus list 2005 Holiday challenge: sleigh bells, tissue paper, green, holiday Muzak, eggnog, Rudolph, rings and “not a creature was stirring”). 
> 
> Originally posted December 2005.

IT’S A DOG’S LIFE

“This is what I need.” Sam tossed the tablet down on the desk in front of Harlan and stood over him with her arms folded across her chest.

Harlan’s head bobbed over the pad and then he looked up at his, his eyes wide and panicked. “But…but…we have none of this here.” He waved the tablet at her, his voice taking on that slightly hysterical tone that she was kind of getting used to. 

“I know, that’s why I’m going to Kampara. Reynaldo said he could get most of it for me.”

“You will have to go through the Stargate.”

“I know,” she replied patiently, “and that’s where I need your help.”

“My help?” Harlan started to look really terrified then. 

“I need one hundred yards of copper wire and then all you have to do is keep Jack and Daniel occupied for the two, maybe three hours it will take me and Teal’c to make the trip to Kampara and back.”

Harlan shook his head, scooting his chair away from the desk—and her. “No, no, no. Colonel O’Neill would not approve and he does not like me.”

“Harlan, you promised.” 

“I said you could have your celebration,” he all but whined.

“And this is what I need for that celebration!”

“Haven’t I tried to make this place your home? Provided you with what you needed to lead full, productive lives?” 

“Yes, you have.” He was starting to ramble and Sam knew she had to cut him off now.  
“Now listen to me, tomorrow after the weekly maintenance on Boiler One, an alarm will go off in Sector Twenty-seven.” Harlan’s eyes widened and he shut up, his hands nervously tugging on the collar of his robe. “You will take Jack and Daniel with you to repair the faulty pump. It will take at least an hour for you to get to that sector, an hour for the repair and an hour back.”

He nodded, his eyes still wide. “But what—“

She held up her hand. “I don’t want to hear it. You will keep them away from here and the gate for three hours. Is that understood?”

“Yes, yes,” he wrung his hands. “I will do as you ask. But promise me you will repair me if O’Neill does anything to me.”

“Harlan, Jack won’t do anything to hurt you.” The rotund little man didn’t look convinced, he merely hugged his right arm a little closer to his body and she winced. “It was an honest mistake that last time. And he did apologize.” She must’ve sounded convincing, because he seemed to relax a bit. “I’m counting on you.” 

“And I will not let you down,” he replied, his eyes and voice painfully earnest.

“Maybe I can find some more of those washers that stopped the leaks over in Sector Two,” she added optimistically.

“Just get what is on your list and return as quickly as possible.” He handed her back the tablet. “You know it is dangerous to leave for even the shortest period.”

Sam nodded and took her tablet. “I’ll remember and we won’t stay any longer than necessary.”

“We will finish the portable power sources soon.”

They were months away from having a working prototype, but then again, time didn’t really matter to Harlan. She wondered when it would quit mattering to her, probably take a few hundred years or so. But right now, she was still determined to make their life here as normal as possible and that meant marking time with an Earth calendar.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The gate whooshed shut behind them and Sam paused for a moment, quickly surveying their surroundings as Teal’c cautiously made his way down the steps. Something wasn’t right. There was smoke in the distance, but not the smoke that should be coming from the chimneys and fires of the settlement. Dark, foreboding smoke and the unmistakable scent of death mingled in with the harsher smells of a burning civilization.

Teal’c looked up from where he knelt at the foot of the stairs. “A squadron of Jaffa have been here in the recent past.” He stood up and scanned the area. 

“Are we safe?” she asked.

He nodded. “I believe so. It would be most unusual for any warriors to be left behind.”

Sam slowly walked down the steps, already dreading what they might find in the village. They had gated to this particular planet several times, the inhabitants were friendly and used to trading with the various travelers that came through the Stargate. On their last visit, she had traded for some lovely green material that Harlan had fashioned into a new tunic and pants for her. 

Along with the special items she’d requested, Reynaldo—the proprietor of the general store—had promised to trade for some more material for the guys, the black just got so old and even if they didn’t want new outfits, she got tired of seeing them in the same thing day after day after day. Fortunately for them, Reynaldo couldn’t get enough copper wire or tubing, so she had plenty of ‘currency’ with which to barter. 

“We should look for survivors, Samantha.”

Teal’c was right. She gripped her weapon a bit more tightly. “Be on your guard,” she reminded him, more out of habit than any serious concern that he wouldn’t be on alert. It was less than a kilometer to the village and even though she knew what to expect, it was still difficult. The deserted streets, the still smoldering ruins, the evidence of lives violently torn apart. There weren’t any bodies immediately visible, for which she was grateful.

“Not a creature was stirring…” she murmured sadly. The damage was less evident the closer they got to the center of the small community, but there were still no signs of life, the once bustling town square now as silent and deserted as a ghost town. Stepping carefully over a dislodged beam, Sam entered the small general store. The damage to the store was minimal, a few shelves knocked over and contents thrown around. Sam really hoped Reynaldo had escaped.

Crossing to the counter, she stepped behind it and began searching through the packages that had somehow been undisturbed by the attack. She found a large package with her name written neatly on the brown paper wrapping. Pulling it out, she set it on top of the counter and took off her backpack, pulling out the bundle of copper wire she’d brought as her part of the trade. “It doesn’t seem right somehow,” she muttered, setting the wire on the counter and clutching the precious package to her chest.

“They are dead,” Teal’c reminded her.

“I know,” she sighed, “it’s just—“ There was a sudden scrabbling noise from the back of the store and she quickly set the package down, both of them bringing their weapons up.

Teal’c looked at her and she nodded, following a few paces behind him as he approached the door to the backroom. The noise increased and Sam gripped her weapon a bit more tightly when Teal’c pushed the door open. 

“Oh my!” Sam exclaimed, when out tumbled two puppies, both of whom barked and yipped excitedly, jumping and dancing around their feet. Lowering her weapon, she knelt down and was immediately set upon by the squirming puppies. Picking one up, it immediately licked her face, the second one barking and whining for attention. 

“They’re adorable,” she murmured, stroking the soft fur. Teal’c murmured something noncommittal. The puppies looked like some kind of spaniel, she thought, though she was no expert on dogs; they had long ears and were white with brown spots, or maybe they were brown with white spots. Whatever it was, they had somehow escaped the destruction and she would have cried if she could produce tears.

She looked up at Teal’c. “We can’t leave them here.” An eyebrow shot up. “Well, we can’t,” she retorted sharply. He looked like he wanted to say something, but she merely stared him down.

“Very well.”

Satisfied, she released the now squirming puppy and stood, both dogs crowding around her feet. “Teal’c, you go find a cart or something—we still need to get a tree—and I’ll gather what we need for the dogs.”

Teal’c inclined his head. “As you wish, Samantha.”

Satisfied, and feeling happier than she had in months, Sam followed Teal’c back into the main part of the store, the puppies on her heels. “Okay, let’s see what we can find for you guys.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“No, no, no, no, no!”

Sam watched Harlan with amused tolerance. She didn’t think she’d ever seen him this agitated.

“You did not say anything about bringing back animals!”

Sam picked up the puppy she’d named Rudolph, because of the brown and white spots on his muzzle—and because it was Christmas. “Look at him! I couldn’t leave him there.” Harlan’s eyes softened; she could tell he was wavering, so she shoved the puppy into his arms. “His name is Rudolph,” she told him. The puppy immediately licked Harlan’s face and the pudgy man’s hands automatically started stroking the soft fur.

“Come here, Paddy,” Sam said to the other pup, picking him up and cuddling him.

‘But…but…they will leave messes,” Harlan objected. And then he leaned toward her and whispered, “And have babies.”

Sam laughed. “They’re both males. And we’ll take care of their messes.”

“What will they eat?”

“I brought back two large sacks of their food. We have water and surely one of your machines is capable of synthesizing something edible for them.”

“Yes, I suppose you’re right,” he conceded. The puppy in his arms squirmed a bit and Harlan almost reluctantly, Sam thought, set him on the floor. Sam did the same with Paddy and the two pups began a wrestling match. Sam decided it was time to play her ace. “And just think how happy they’ll make Jack.”

“I do not believe anything is capable of making him happy,” Harlan replied, his eyes and voice taking on a mournful tone.

“Oh, I think these little guys will.” Sam really hoped she was right. She knew Jack liked dogs and maybe having something alive around the compound would help lighten up the sometimes oppressive atmosphere. Something alive…with practiced ease she pushed away the bitterness that still surfaced whenever she remembered she wasn’t alive. What mattered, she reminded herself, was that she felt alive. 

“Now, we just need to keep them hidden until Christmas.” Sam was almost disappointed when Harlan didn’t go apoplectic and then she silently chided herself; she really needed to stop finding so much enjoyment in pushing the little man’s buttons. 

Instead of raving at her, he merely looked resigned and cuddled Rudolph a bit closer. “I will help you, since you will talk me into it anyway, despite my better judgment.”

She kissed the top of his bald head, still marveling after everything that had changed with them that his skin was warm and felt real beneath her lips. “Thanks, Harlan. I knew I could count on you.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was harder than Sam had expected, to keep two rambunctious puppies secret even for three days, and she had finally been forced to enlist Daniel in her plot. He was more than happy to help—and the puppies were thrilled to have a new person with which to play. And now it was finally Christmas Eve and time to put her plan into action. 

Sam surveyed their ‘living room’; the puppies were currently piled on a blanket in the corner sleeping while Daniel sat at the table reading one of the massive history tomes that he’d found stored in one of the many rooms in the huge facility. “Where do you think we should put the tree?”

“You got a tree?” He blinked and looked up at her, his glasses perched precariously on the edge of his nose.

She looked at him. “Of course. Can’t have Christmas without a tree.”

He sat back and pushed his glasses up. “Well, in some cultures—“

She waved her arm around the large room. “Don’t care about other cultures. This is our culture now, Daniel, and we need to start our own traditions.”

“Sometimes it’s better to give up the past and move on.”

Sam favored him with a fierce look. “Maybe with some things, Daniel, but not with this. I’m still Samantha Carter and you’re still Daniel Jackson and we’re celebrating Christmas.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he saluted and smiled good-naturedly. “I think the tree would be best in that corner.” He pointed to the far corner of their living room.

“Perfect.” Sticking her head back out into the corridor she called down the corridor. “Teal’c?”

The Jaffa soon appeared with the large pine they’d cut before leaving Kampara. “Over in the corner.” He nodded and set the tree in the selected location. “You’re sure Harlan will be able to keep Jack occupied?” she asked him, worried that he would appear early, before they were ready.

“They were to affect repairs on sub-level thirty-three. They will be many hours yet.”

“Good.” It was Christmas Eve and she wanted everything up and decorated when he got back. She deliberately ignored the little voice that kept asking her why Jack and his reactions were so important to her. It was Christmas, she told herself, draping one of the paper chains she’d fashioned on the tree, their first Christmas away from home. And if she found that she was growing more attracted to him the longer they were here, well, that was okay too. It wasn’t like there were that many available men around. She smiled too herself, well that wasn’t really true, she had the choice of four men—but there was only one she wanted.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Several hours later, the trio stood back and admired their handiwork. “Not bad,” Daniel commented, adjusting the tissue paper angel he’d fashioned for the top of the tree. “Now, all we need is some eggnog and a little holiday Muzak.”

“Don’t you mean music, Daniel?” 

His smile was wry. “I don’t know, Sam, canned music somehow seems more appropriate for our current environment.”

“I’m going to ignore you said that, Daniel,” she retorted. Nothing was going to dampen her festive mood.

“What is canned music?” Teal’c asked. 

Sam absently listened to Daniel’s discourse on the evil that was pre-packaged music as she studied the tree. It did look nice, she decided. Teal’c had fashioned lights for it and even if they didn’t have fancy glass ornaments and tinsel, they had the paper ornaments she’d carefully crafted over the preceding months. And with the room lights dimmed, the white tree lights twinkled brightly enough that she could almost convince herself it didn’t matter that they were exiles. 

Shoving her maudlin thoughts aside, she turned to her companions, there was only one other thing to do before Jack and Harlan returned. “Daniel? Teal’c? Can you get Paddy and Rudolph for me?”

The puppies were willingly corralled and Sam put on the finishing touches, the two braided leather collars Teal’c had fashioned from bridle leather they’d found on Kampara. It had been her idea to add the tiny bells she discovered when she’d been scrounging for material for her ornaments. Of course, they weren’t as fancy as sleigh bells, but they’d suffice as jingle bells—at least for as long as the dogs would tolerate them. 

“There you go,” she said to the puppies, patting their heads and stepping back as Daniel and Teal’c set them back on the floor. The tinkle of tiny bells filled the room as the puppies shook their heads, setting the bells to ringing.

“They do not appear to like their adornment, Samantha,” Teal’c observed solemnly.

She smiled. “It’s only for tonight.”

“What’s only for tonight? Jack stood in the doorway, a slight frown on his face. 

“Merry Christmas!” Sam said brightly, butterflies taking flight in her mid-section with his appearance. Jack walked slowly into the room, his eyes flicking around the room and then back to her. Daniel and Teal’c took the opportunity to escape, sidling past them and out the doorway. Traitors, she thought darkly, leaving her to face Jack on her own. 

Jack’s frown deepened and Sam felt a sinking sensation where her heart used to be. Before she could say anything else or even explain, there was a sudden explosion of jingling bells and two puppies tumbled excitedly past her, eager to meet the newcomer. The look on Jack’s face as the puppies barked and jumped on his legs, begging for attention, filled her with sadness. He looked at them almost as if he was afraid of them, but then the stern expression on his face melted away and he knelt down on the floor, letting the two eager puppies jump onto his lap.

“Hey there, little fellas’,” he murmured, rubbing Paddy behind his ears while Rudolph tried to squirm under his hand to get petted too. “Where’d you two come from?” He looked at her then. “And that tree?”

Sam knelt down on the floor in front of him, pulling Rudolph onto her lap and petting him. The little dog immediately settled down and nestled in her arms; the warm, furry body giving her confidence. “We found them on Kampara.”

He looked at her, the frown back in place. “When did you go to Kampara?”

“A few days ago.” She shrugged when his frown deepened; she wasn’t going to be intimidated by him. He wasn’t Colonel O’Neill anymore and she wasn’t his subordinate. “It was supposed to be a surprise, for Christmas.”

“How is Reynaldo?”

“Dead,” she answered baldly, knowing there was no easy way to say it. “Teal’c thinks they were attacked by some Goa’uld. We saw evidence that a contingent of Jaffa had been there.”

Jack’s expression darkened again and he stood abruptly, still managing to keep Paddy in his arms. “You both could have been killed—or captured.” 

Sam moved a protesting Rudolph off her lap and stood as well. “We were careful.”

“I don’t care how careful you were! You shouldn’t be taking those kinds of chances, especially for something as frivolous as a Christmas tree.”

“It’s not frivolous. It’s Christmas.”

Jack snorted. “In case it’s escaped your notice, we’re not on Earth.”

“I know exactly where we are, Jack O’Neill.” 

“Then why are you trying to pretend you’re not here?” Paddy whined at the harsh tone in Jack’s voice and he let him jump down onto the floor.

“Because I’m not going to spend what’s left of my existence wanting what I can’t have!” He didn’t look like he believed her. She took a deep breath, the movement automatic even though she didn’t require oxygen anymore. “Our lives aren’t over, Jack. They’re just…different now,” she added with a sad smile.

“And that’s good enough for you?”

Sam knew her next move was a huge gamble, but the anger in his voice had faded and the wistful look in his eyes gave her courage. Shuffling closer to him, she reached up and lightly caressed his cheek. He went stock still but didn’t move away, his dark brown eyes glued to hers. When she spoke, her voice was gentle and full of love. “With you here, it is.”

Jack’s eyes flashed with something she hadn’t seen in them in a long time—hope. Letting her hand drift lightly to his shoulder, she smiled tentatively. He shifted toward her, closing the gap between them. “Are you sure?” His voice may have held a note of questioning but the look in his eyes was anything but unsure.

“Never surer.”

Jack’s lazy smile turned her insides upside down—and it didn’t seem to matter that they had mechanical insides, his smile and the look in his eyes ignited something inside her that transcended the reality of their situation. When he lowered his head, she closed her eyes in anticipation; the warm press of his lips against hers sweeter than she ever could have imagined. She wrapped her arms around him and melted against his lean body, a tenderness filling her that made her feel like maybe their future wasn’t going to be so bleak after all. 

Though brief, the kiss was full of promise and when it was over, she buried her face against his neck and simply enjoyed the pure pleasure of the moment. That was until she felt something tugging at her pants leg and the plaintive yipping and whimpering of two puppies who were obviously feeling abandoned. When she felt Jack move, she loosened her arms and smiled indulgently when he reached down and picked up both the puppies. 

“What’s the matter, fellas?” he crooned, “no one giving you any loving?” Paddy, or maybe it was Rudolph, gave him a big, wet puppy kiss. 

“Looks like you have two new friends,” she observed.

He grinned and somehow managed to wrap one around her and still hold onto the puppies. Sam sighed happily, nestling into his embrace as contentedly as Rudolph and Paddy had. “Thank you,” he murmured. 

Sam drew her head back far enough so that she could see his face. “I didn’t do anything but put up a tree—and give Harlan fits because I brought back animals.”

“I wish I could have seen his face.”

Sam smiled in remembrance. “It was priceless.”

“I mean it, thank you for doing this.” His arm tightened and she somehow managed to wrap her arms around him and the two puppies he still held. The two dogs squirmed, but settled down, as if sensing the significance of the moment. “Thank you for…being you, I guess.”

“Am I Samantha Carter?” she asked and searched his face, waiting anxiously for his answer. 

His eyes darkened and the puppies squirmed between them before he finally spoke. “As surely as I’m Jack O’Neill.”

THE END


End file.
